Grace to the Saints in Ephesus

A soaring letter on our Father’s eternal plan to unite all things in Christ, and on the church as His household and His body.

Chapter 1.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by our Father's will, to the saints in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: ^a Grace to you and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every Blessing in the Beloved

Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. ^b Just as he chose us in him before the world's founding, to be holy and blameless before our Father in love. He predestined us to be his own sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will. ^c To the praise of his glorious grace, freely given to us in the Beloved—Jesus. In him, through his blood, we have redemption—forgiveness of our sins—by the riches of our Father's grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight. He revealed to us his will's mystery, his good pleasure planned in Christ, a plan for the fullness of the times: to unite all things in Christ—things in heaven and on earth—in him. In him we also were made heirs, destined beforehand by our Father's purpose, who works out everything according to his will's counsel, so that we who first put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory. In him you also, when you heard the truth's word—your salvation's gospel—and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who guarantees our inheritance until we possess it, to the praise of his glory.

Praying for Eyes to See

So I, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so you may know our Father more fully, the eyes of your hearts enlightened, so you may know the hope of his calling, and the riches of his glorious inheritance in our Father's people, and the vast greatness of his power toward us who believe, matching the working of his mighty strength, that he worked in Christ, raising Jesus from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. Far above every rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name ever named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And our Father put everything under Christ's feet and gave him as head over everything to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.